


Operation Spring Gala

by GaeilgeRua



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alcohol, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Semi-drunken Confession, Snogging, Spring, gala - Freeform, really it's more slightly tipsy than anything else
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:53:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23338690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GaeilgeRua/pseuds/GaeilgeRua
Summary: To celebrate the complete restoration of the castle, and the new season, the headmistress decides to hold a spring gala. Hermione has no intention of going, but her roommate and friend, Daphne, can’t have that. Enter Daphne's best friend.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Blaise Zabini
Comments: 6
Kudos: 42
Collections: Bunny Bounce Fic Exchange 2020, Draco's Den, Hermione's Haven Bingo 2020





	Operation Spring Gala

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DarkAngelOfSorrowReturns](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkAngelOfSorrowReturns/gifts).



> Written for Hermione's Haven 2020 Bunny Bounce and 2020 Bingo (Square G2: Drunken Confessions).
> 
> Many thanks to Squarepeg72 and xxDustNight88 for reading this over for me. If there are any errors after they read it over, they are my own.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything or anyone recognizable from the HP world. I am not making any money off of this.

Hermione fidgeted as she stood next to Daphne. She couldn't believe that she let the other witch talk her into attending. Not even Ginny or the headmistress had been successful. And to be honest, Hermione wasn't even sure how the Slytherin witch had done it.

"Quit that," Daphne hissed as she reached over and grasped Hermione's free hand.

"I can't help it," Hermione practically whinged. She took a large gulp from the firewhisky laced punch she held. A grimace twisting her features for a few seconds as the alcohol burned it's way down to her stomach. "How you talked me into a blind date let alone even going to this event, I'll never know."

Daphne grinned. "It's part of my charm."

Hermione snorted, "Charm, my arse."

"I promise you will enjoy yourself tonight," Daphne reassured her.

"And if I don't?" Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Then I won't set you up again," Daphne replied. "Plus, I'll hex him for you."

"Is that any way to treat your best mate," a new voice asked from behind the two witches.

Daphne slowly turned to face the newcomer as Hermione froze in place as she recognised who it was.

"Blaise?" Hermione squeaked. She flushed as his chuckle washed over her, realising he had heard her. _'This cannot be happening,'_ Hermione thought to herself.

The one wizard she wanted to avoid at all costs at this blasted gala, and her roommate goes and sets her up with him. She wanted to throttle Daphne.

Polishing off her second glass of spiked punch for the evening, Hermione placed the empty glass on a passing tray before finally turning to face the man who haunted her dreams.

"Well!" Daphne said as she clapped her hands together. "Seeing as you already know who each other is, I'll just leave you two to get to know each other better."

With that, the blonde witch whirled around and disappeared into the crowd.

"Daphne! Wait!" Hermione called out to her friend's back, but it was too late.

"You really don't want to spend time with me, do you, Granger?" Blaise quietly observed.

Hermione shook her head, emphatically. "No, that's not it at all."

Blaise raised an eyebrow. "Then what is it?"

Her eyes widened at his question. She had no idea how she was going to get out of this situation with her dignity intact. Blast Daphne and her keen observation skills and her need to play matchmaker.

A gentle touch on her elbow pulled Hermione back to the present. "Why don't we go somewhere private and talk? Just the two of us and no expectations other than to talk."

Hermione considered his offer for a few moments. Coming to a decision, she nodded. "Okay."

An expression flashed over Blaise's features before he returned her nod. "Let's go," he said as he led them towards the entrance to the Great Hall.

She tried to decipher that brief glimpse he gave her, but couldn't wrap her head around the idea of him being relieved that she said yes. It didn't help that the heat from his hand resting against the small of her back seemed to be burning a hole straight through her.

Hermione's nerves seemed to be on overdrive as she tried to figure out any way she could get out of the impending conversation. She had developed a small crush on the wizard back at the end of her fifth year, and she thought she'd grown out of it over the course of her year on the run with Harry and Ron. Hermione quickly discovered how wrong she was at the beginning of their eighth year.

She spent as much time as possible during the year, trying to ignore the feelings that somehow spun wildly out of control when she wasn't looking. The world around them was making that very difficult as Daphne, his best friend, was always hanging out with him. And then there were their professors that seemed to take the immense joy out of pairing the two of them together.

When the headmistress first announced the event, it was this very gala that had sent her anxiety into a frenzy about what she should do. She didn't want to go as she had too much studying to do, plus she didn't want to go with anyone that wanted to be her date just to say they went out with Hermione Granger, the War Heroine, when Daphne heard that Hermione wasn't planning on attending, the blonde which had put her foot down and refused to take no for an answer from the other witch.

Hermione tried to back out again when Daphne announced that she had a date for her. She explained her reservations to her friend, but Daphne told Hermione just to trust her.

And look where it got her. Walking through the quiet halls of Hogwarts looking for a place to talk with the wizard she found herself falling for. What were the olds?

"Here we go," Blaise said as he opened a classroom door.

Once they were inside, he closed and locked the door before placing a silencing charm on the room.

Blaise turned to face Hermione. "Now, what seems to be the problem?"

Hermione bit into her lower lip as she tried to figure out what she wanted to say.

The silence stretched between them.

Blaise took a step closer. "Hermione?"

"I… I…" She squeezed her eyes shut, and when she did, the words tumbled from her mouth, "I like you, okay?!"

Hermione's hands fisted at her side as she waited for Blaise's response. _'Dignity? What dignity? It's long gone now.'_

During her internal struggle, Hermione missed the soft footfalls of Blaise's feet. "Thank Salazar," he whispered before he leaned down and kissed Hermione.

She froze for a few moments as she tried to process what was happening, but after a few seconds, she relaxed into the kiss. When Blaise pulled back, Hermione looked up at him with a grin. "I thought you said we were going to be just talking?"

"I changed my mind."

"Well, then it's a good thing I liked that kiss," she teased.

Blaise grinned. "I liked it too."

Hermione slid a hand up his neck to cup the back of his head. "Can I have another?"

"It would be my pleasure," Blaise told her.

They met halfway this time.

Back in the Great Hall, Daphne was looking around the room. When she noticed that neither Blaise nor Hermione were there, she grinned. _'Mission accomplished.'_


End file.
